HIST386 Ancient Texts

This subject explores some of the major historiographical controversies in the field of ancient history. The subject focuses upon major gaps in the written record and familiarises students with the interpretative methods deployed by historians to overcome these gaps. The student will gain a deeper understanding of how reliable are our chronologies and historical narratives, and the methods used by historians to understand diverse sources, including historical, religious and literary texts. The subject will examine how our understanding of ancient society has changed over time.